Embraced By Crimson
by ThatDudeCalledBob
Summary: The Sandaime recognized Naruto's precocious talent for being a shinobi and accelerated his learning. Years later, the boy is a highly respected and famous jonin of Konoha. As events unfold around him Naruto is dragged into the inner workings of the village and forced to step up or be washed away in the ensuing madness. Strong!Naruto. Starts at the Wave Arc.
1. Precocious Turned Devious

**Embraced by Crimson**

_Chapter 1: Precocious Turned Devious_**  
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* * *

**|Konoha - Four Years After Kyuubi...|**

As he took a large drag from the pipe in his mouth he stared at the boy in front of him sternly. A chunin held the boy by the scruff of the neck and was glaring at him angrily. The subject of his ire could be no older than four and yet he still had the audacity to stare at the fully grown man holding him with nothing short of contempt. The look was well returned by the adult although if Sarutobi was honest with himself the sight of a chunin and the boy staring off against each other was quite amusing.

"You may leave him with me." He dismissed the chunin who took particular delight in dropping the boy on the floor before storming out of the room, "Naruto, I've told you off for this before." He gave the boy a frustrated look which only seemed to invigorate the rebellious demeanor of the blonde.

"Don' care! I wanna be a ninja!" The Hokage rubbed his forehead to calm his nerves.

"Sneaking into the academy and hanging off the ceiling is _not _the right way to go about it." He intended to lecture the boy but could still only find amusement in the situation.

When Naruto was no more than two he had declared boisterously to the orphanage, 'I'm gonna be a ninja'. The matron of the institution thought nothing of it; children always developed pipe dreams when they were younger that would eventually either fizzle out or turn into an adult ambition. Of course, they had failed to take into account the boy's ingenuity. He had snuck out of the grasp of his caretakers several times over the next few years and silently watched the genin who were training in the area near the orphanage.

Somehow, whether through sheer luck of inherent genius, the boy had learnt how to harness his chakra when he was three. If Sarutobi were honest it was no real shock considering his parents. No, the surprises had yet to come. Within a few months he had learnt to walk on walls and water which made his ability to disappear out of the orphanage all the much more higher. He eventually discovered where the academy was and so from the age of around three-and-a-half onwards he would sneak into classrooms and stick off the roof or walls to watch the lectures occurring. Eventually the chunin instructors would notice him which would lead to the usual confrontation that the Hokage was currently experiencing.

If he were honest, he just didn't know what to do with the precocious child. The boy would learn how to be a shinobi with or without permission, that much was obvious. But at the age of four he was still _much _too young to be enrolled in the academy. The only way he could feasibly control the blonde would be to give him what he wanted but that would require personal instruction from someone. He himself didn't have the time and he refused to allow the boy to fall into the hands of Danzo.

Regardless, the boy _had _to be given what he wanted before he began looking elsewhere for it, "Naruto?"

"Hokage-sama?" The boy's small voice didn't serve well with the respectful tone he used.

"How would you like to be officially trained to be a shinobi?" The boy's face lit up faster than the elderly man had ever seen before and he was practically bouncing up and down on the spot.

"Aww, yeah!" A shit-eating grin threatened to split the boy's face open.

Sarutobi gave him another stern look before adding, "Are you sure? I think you are too young but your determination justifies such a headstart."

"I'll do anything!" At the time, the boy didn't realise the significance of what he said but the Hokage took it in stride.

"Very well. If you're good for the next week in the orphanage then I'll employ someone to look over your training." Naruto nodded enthusiastically as the Sandaime spoke while the man himself thought over who could possibly be used in order to oversee the boy's progress. He'd have to call in a few favors.

* * *

**|Nami no Kuni - Eight Years Later...|**

"Stay out of this fight, this guy is beyond your level." Even as he said it he knew that his students wouldn't have joined in regardless.

Sasuke was glaring angrily at their enemy but even his usual Uchiha pride couldn't disguise his fear. Sakura meanwhile was positively terrified if the way she was sweating and gripping her kunai shakily was anything to go by. His last student, Hiroki, was frozen in shock at the man which, compared to his usual boisterous manner, spoke for itself.

Kakashi sighed; he needed to end this quick before his team did something stupid.

* * *

**|Moments Later...|**

It was a simple thing really, even in his injured state. He did his best to hide his chakra signal and, using his extensive knowledge surrounding stealth, managed to sneak up behind the girl - or was it a boy? Regardless, he soon found himself behind the person and with a flick of the wrist his kunai was struck across their neck. Blood spurted out immediately and coated his body as his victim's eyes widened in shock before immediately going motionless.

It was such a shame really for such a young shinobi to be so enamored with a missing-nin but that was the way of the world he lived in and so he took the situation in stride. And to think the foolish boy had thought that his Kiri hunter-nin constume would trick him. No, if anyone had the time to study him and half a brain to go with it then they would easily have realised his deception. Shaking his head, he forced himself not to think about the kill. Besides, he had someone else to deal with before he could have that much needed rest he had been waiting for.

First he had to kill Momochi Zabuza. Then, Uzumaki Naruto could rest.

* * *

**|Meanwhile...|**

"Run!" He knew it was over from the moment he was caught in the water prison. He could feel the oxygen in the sphere slowly leaving and his team, slack-jawed and terrified of the man to the right of him, could do nothing about it. So rather than them lose their lives he had willed them to leave. Even his demanding tone couldn't slap them out of their fear-induced shock however, and as the missing-nin produced clones he realised that he was going to watch his team _die_.

The clones were summoned out of the lake surrounding him and began to stalk toward the three horrified genin on the waterfront. Tazuna, their blasted client, was probably wetting his pants at this point if the look of despair on his face was anything to go by. Even Sasuke, the cold genius of his year, was stuck in place by the raw killing intent of the man before them.

Finally, the clones reached land and drew their blades, "I'm going to enjoy killing you wannabe shin-" The man's dark taunt was cut off as all the clones suddenly dispelled, puddles forming around the feet. As they fell Kakashi realised that a blade of some sort had slashed across the chests of everyone. His eyes widened imperceptibly, his genin hadn't done anything; no, whoever had destroyed those clones was incredibly fast.

Before Zabuza had a chance to work out what had happened something barreled out of the tree-line near the lake and tackled the man viciously. He was knocked from his place next to Kakashi and thus the jutsu quickly dropped. The copy-nin wasted no time and quickly retreated off the water to his genin. Before he could continue his fight with Zabuza he had to know who this new person was; friend or foe?

The supposed Demon of the Mist meanwhile, was fending off a brutal taijutsu assault from the person who had interrupted their fight. He desperately tried to fling his sword at the new foe only for it to turn out to be his downfall as the enemy ducked under the swipe and then landed a brutal kick into his chest. The missing-nin flew in the air from where they had been fighting to near the genin and the copy-nin, colliding with a tree.

As soon as he hit it two kunai flew from the direction of his opponent and pierced both arms. He screamed in pain and he was crucified to the tree by the forearms. Unable to move, he could do nothing to stop the person as they shunshined right in front of him and struck his chest with a nasty jab. The jab was much more dangerous then usual however, as it was laced with wind chakra. It sliced straight through his chest and before Zabuza even realised his heart had been split in two and he had stopped breathing. The hand in his chest continued until it hit the tree on the other side before finally being withdrawn.

It was only then that the Kakashi and his team got a good look at the person who had assisted them. Bright, sun-kissed hair billowed in the wind while a whisker marked face stared coldly at the man he had just killed. From first appearance he looked around eleven or twelve years old with a slim build and short stature. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi attire except with dark red underclothing rather than the standard navy blue or black. A chunin vest covered his chest while red gloves, from wrist to the tip of his fingers, were worn on his hands. A black headband and black shinobi sandals completed the outfit. It wasn't his clothes that gathered Team Seven's attention however, it was the state of disarray the person was currently in.

Slashes through his clothing could be seen from head to toe, with one side of his red long-sleeved shirt hanging by a thread. He also had a large gash across his forehead that was bleeding profusely, if the blood seeping under his headband was anything to go by. His hair was streaked with blood while he seemed to be favouring his right leg. All in all, it looked like the boy had been in an intense conflict recently.

"You are most fortunate I was in the area, Hatake-san." The boy spoke politely, although the aloof and distant tone was obvious to all.

Kakashi had the decency to look sheepish as the boy spoke, "I guess thanks are in order." He smiled as he spoke, "What are you doing out here anyway?"

The boy's eyes flashed to the three genin who were staring at the exchange with wide eyes, "I was _investigating _a recent infestation in our lands. My findings were quite dire." The copy-nin seemed to take this in stride and simply nodded at the enigmatic response.

"Ano, why is your appearance so disheveled?

The boy sighed as he replied, "I was discovered and pursued heavily by enemy forces. To put them off the trail I island-hopped to Wave - although now it seems I've got myself in more mess." He looked at Zabuza's prone body, "The Demon of the Mist... I wonder what his bounty is?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I'd say no more than mine or yours." At this Team Seven's eyes widened even more as they realised the boy in front of them, who looked no older than them, was as famous as their sensei.

"Well, he had a partner of some sort hiding in the trees. I took care of him discreetly but one might want to clean it up." As he spoke his eyes gained a tired look to them.

Kakashi seemed to notice his exhaustion and so added, "Naruto, you should rest. I'm sure Tazuna would be happy to oblige?" Although worded as a suggestion it was clear to all that the man had no choice.

"Y-Yes of course!" The drunkard replied quickly.

Naruto sighed once again, "I'm tired from the mission unfortunately - I wasn't able to rest for two days." As he said it he seemed to ponder Kakashi's offer, "I think I've managed to shrug off my pursuers," Then he looked at Tazuna, "If you would be willing, I would be thankful." The man didn't reply and merely nodded in acquiescence.

"Right! Well lead the way Tazuna. I'll leave a clone to deal with this," Kakashi gestured at Zabuza's hanging corpse, "Mess." And with that the copy-nin summoned a water clone quickly that immediately set off to deal with the bodies in the area.

* * *

**|30 Minutes Later...|**

"So, why _were _you out there?" Kakashi's voice no longer held the light-hearted tone from the forest. Having finally arrived at the house, Team Seven had quickly taken advantage of the hospitality of the family and the genin were all rest in the spare rooms. Kakashi and Naruto meanwhile, were facing each other silently in the dining room.

"Hokage-sama indicated a need-to-know basis for the information I left to gather. Do you _need _to know?" Naruto, while polite, tempered his question with a threatening tone.

"As an elite jonin and loyal member of Konoha I think I deserve the right to know why you were in foreign land severely fatigued and badly injured. Especially considering it may affect my mission parameters."

Naruto tilted his head lightly as he stared at the man with cold indifference, "Very well, I'll humor you Hatake-san. The snake is on the move. I was entrusted to find out."

"And did you?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes and it is most troubling. He intends to strike at the heart." They continued to speak in riddles on the off chance that a genin overheard their discussion.

Kakashi tensed slightly, "Oh? Do you know when?"

"He will strike from within during the climax of the competition." Kakashi frowned as he spoke. What competition was happening in Kono- The Chunin Exams! The idea that Orochimaru would dare to strike in the middle of the exams was a terrifying concept to say the least.

"What're you guys even talkin' about?" A prepubescent voice cut through the air and Naruto's eyes quickly shifted to the sight of one of Kakashi's students in the doorway to the stairs looking at them in confusion.

"Ah, nothing for you to worry about Hiroki!" Kakashi waved the boy away, "Put it out of your mind." Naruto chose not to reply and instead simply stared at the boy intently.

"Who the hell are you anyway?" The boy's face squinted as he stared at Naruto in suspicion.

Kakashi intervened quickly, "This is Uzumaki Naruto - a jonin of the village."

"He can't be a jonin... He's like our age! Stop lying to me sensei!" The boy's voice was beginning to irritate Naruto's ears and the blonde sighed in dissatisfaction. Kakashi seemed to noticed his irritation and so gestured for the boy who had interrupted them to leave.

"Maybe, maybe not. Don't you have someone to bother?" Kakashi grinned as he spoke, "Maybe Sasuke?" At this Hiroki grinned back at the man and, without saying anything else, dashed off back up the stairs. Kakashi snorted at the reaction, the fickle mind of a child. Then he looked back at Naruto and almost shivered - the _not so _fickle mind of a child soldier.

* * *

**|Moments Later...|**

Hiroki was a naturally curious child, especially when it came to the shinobi world. He had been brought up in a large, loving civilian family and because of this his less than polite traits were often ignored in favor of lavish compliments. He was the _star _of the family - the only one to dare to become a shinobi. The family supported him in every endeavor; finances and love were a right, not a privilege. And so when he was so easily dismissed by his sensei in favor of talking with a boy his age Hiroki was irritated. What could the boy, an apparent jonin, know that makes him so valuable?

As he often did when a question surrounding a shinobi was brought up, Hiroki set out to read the bingo book he carried in his bag with him. While he _was _arrogant and often overbearing he did have the undeniable quality of a thirst for knowledge. It was one of the major factors in his decision to become a shinobi and was a large reason behind his obnoxious attitude; he simply couldn't help it, he _had _to be in the 'know'.

So the boy bounded up the stairs quickly, his brown hair billowing from the fast movement. He soon found himself in the same room as his two teammates, Sakura and Sasuke. Ignoring them, Hiroki went straight to his bag in the corner. The rabid pace that he was moving at not to mention the manic facial expression he was displaying piqued the curiosity of the other two in the room.

"Hiroki, what are you doing?" Sakura asked. Sasuke feigned disinterest although the way his sneering eyes followed the boy indicated otherwise.

"I found out the name of that asshole who interrupted the fight!" Hiroki boasted loudly, "I'm gonna check if he's in the bingo book." Sasuke snorted at the boy - calling the person who saved them an 'asshole' was stupid even to the prideful Uchiha boy.

Sakura meanwhile, had no such self-control, "You baka! He saved us, you shouldn't call him names." She looked at the other boy in the room, "But I'm sure Sasuke-kun would of saved us anyway." The boy didn't visibly react to the comment, although internally he was sneering in disdain; what a _weak _girl.

"Hmm... Uza-Uzi-Aha! Here he is; Uzumaki Naruto." The boy's eyes twitched as he read the information, "Wait... This can't be right!" Hiroki re-read the information for a second time before snorting in disgust, "Pah! I knew these books were bullshit!" He absentmindedly threw the book at his bag.

Sakura looked at him in confusion, "The bingo book is a text controlled by the Konoha Administrative Offices - it's certified!" The horrified expression she displayed at the thought of Hiroki dismissing something that was 'certified' was utterly ridiculous to the only other boy in the room.

The raven-haired boy looked at the now discarded book for a moment before standing and walking over to it. The page was still opened from where Hiroki had started throwing his temper tantrum and so the Uchiha heir found no trouble in finding where the other boy had read from. It was a page combining the information that all other villages had gained on the jonin downstairs - that way Konoha was able to paint a picture of how much the world knew about their shinobi:

**Name**: Uzumaki Naruto

**Age**: 12

**Appearance**: (A small photo of Naruto could be seen in the corner)

**Affiliation/s**: Konoha, Toad Summons of Konoha

**Village Rank**: Elite Jonin - Previously ANBU Black Ops

**Moniker/s**: Naruto of the Crimson Rain, Konoha's Slippery Fox, The Red Burst of Konoha

**Classification**: A-Rank, Jinchuriki, Sage

**Danger** **Status**: APC (Approach With Caution)

**Abilities**: Taijutsu - A-Rank, Ninjutsu - S-Rank, Genjutsu - B-Rank, Kenjutsu - B-Rank, Bukijutsu - B-Rank, Stealth & Assassination - S-Rank

**Mission Info**: S-Rank - Classified, A-Rank - 35, B-Rank - 27, C-Rank - 5

**Personality** **& Traits**: Known to be uncompromising while on a mission. Is unquestionably loyal to the Hokage - unknown if this extends to the village. Values the life of a comrade over the mission. Believed to be mentally conditioned - does not display any visible emotions. Has enhanced senses. Gifted with a sharp intelligence. Famous for his ingenuity and cunning

**Important** **Events**: The Iwa-Kusa-Konoha Incident, The Battle of the Waterfall Plains - all other mission info classified.

**Other**: Strong bonds with the infamous Toad Summon of Konoha. Most dangerous when backed into a corner. Close relationship with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya of the Sannin.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he continued to read the description of the boy downstairs. How the hell could someone only as old as him be so powerful? Had Konoha been holding him back? But then, it was the very village itself that had produced such a shinobi. The boy grew restless with his thoughts and didn't even notice when the only girl in the team, Sakura, grabbed the book from his hands and began to read herself.

She gasped in shock, "I've heard about him! Iruka-sensei mentioned he had tutored him when he was younger." Sasuke looked up at her in interest and she continued, "He said that it was one of his first students - that he was four years younger than he should of been when he started - and he said that it was _scary _teaching him." Sakura babbled on for a few moments before she stopped talking and suddenly gained a nervous shudder, "I wonder why?"

"Who cares? It's all probably lies anyway!" Hiroki announced jealously.

"Oh, it certainly isn't." The three whipped their head around to see Kakashi leaning on the door to their room, "Naruto is quite the character."

Hiroki snorted, "Yeah, right! How can he be that strong if we're... If we're...?" The unvoiced ending to the sentence was obvious; if we're only genin.

Kakashi gave them all his trademark one-eyed smile as he replied, "Ah, well you see; Naruto was a ferocious little child when he was younger. He essentially forced the Sandaime into giving him early training." The three looked at him with deadpanned expressions as he suggested that a _four _year old had 'forced' the Hokage to do anything, "He was going to learn either way - the Sandaime merely wished to keep an eye on things. So, he put him in an accelerated learning program."

The man didn't bother to mention that 'accelerated' meant Naruto had essentially been trained by chunin until he was five and from then on was shunted onto either ANBU or jonin in the proviso that he be made doggedly loyal to the village. It _did _work; the boy would die for the Hokage. It was the way it was accomplished that was the problem. The Hokage had found out some of the more unsavory ways Naruto had been taught only years _after _it had happened and by that point it was too late; the damage was done. Whether by choice of the Sandaime or not, the boy had gone through some particularly harsh conditioning to reduce emotional output and increase mental proficiency. The result was a gifted, albeit distant, shinobi.

* * *

**|The Next Morning...|**

The next morning saw a bustle of activity across the house; At 5AM Naruto instantly awoke, his body accustomed to the early rising for training and missions. As he moved around the house to replace his bandages and pack up his gear Kakashi, ever the vigilant jonin, instantly woke at the slightest sound. He quickly noticed what Naruto was doing and so prepared to see the boy off himself. In the hour it took Naruto to get ready Tsunami herself forced her way into the kitchen. With a small family and a number of shinobi to feed the women had taken to getting up at 6AM in order to properly prepare the morning meal. By the time she had finished it had already struck 7AM and the two jonin of the household found themselves at the breakfast table. Kakashi excused himself to wake up his genin and before Naruto knew it his earlier wish to leave unnoticed was ruined.

He sat at the table surrounded by the shinobi in the household and the family of the bridgebuilder. The group chattered away easily - Tsunami engaging in conversation with Sakura while the tow boys in the team seemed to be arguing about something. Tazuna himself sat next to a small boy who was glaring at the floor in dismay. Kakashi himself simply read his book in gleeful silence.

As they began to eat the silence was suddenly disrupted by Hiroki, "So..." He pointed at Naruto rudely, "Why were you out here anyway?" The three genin had all come to different conclusions the previous night surrounding the boy. Sakura was scared of him while Sasuke was viciously jealous. Hiroki insisted that the boy was a lie and that he was charading as a strong shinobi.

The blue-eyed boy stared at the brown-haired male silently for a moment and an uncomfortable silence drew across the room, "I was on a mission." Hiroki snorted out loud and Kakashi internally sighed at the boy's embarrassing attitude.

"You? By yourself? Ha!" The boy laughed to himself, hoping to draw a reaction out of the apparent jonin in front of him. Instead, he received a bemused stare from the blonde.

Naruto tilted his head as was liable to often do when faced with a confusing circumstance, "What ever do you mean?"

"Ano, Hiroki-baka doesn't believe in your bingo book entry." Sakura explained hesitantly.

"I truly hate that book," Naruto sighed and Kakashi himself, who had been watching the conflict silently, was compelled to agree with him, "It has a tendency to exaggerate."

Hiroki grinned in victory, "I knew it! It's all lies isn't it?"

Naruto returned to tilting his head at the boy, "What particular part are you referring to? I haven't looked at my description for several years."

"It said you were super strong and stuff!" The boy gesticulated wildly, "Like, you have a nickname!" He snorted, "Konoha's Slippery Fox my ass!" Naruto wrinkled his nose in distaste as the boy spoke. So it was _that _moniker. Oh, how he hated that one.

Kakashi seemed to narrow his eyes as his pupil spoke, "Hiroki-kun, I can assure you that name is well earned." Naruto's infamous escape from Ame was something known to every village on the continent.

Sakura meanwhile, was tapping the table in irritation - where had she heard that title from before? It was in the academy when they had been studying the relationship of Ame to Konoha and by proxy the entire elemental nations. They were near the end of the historical account when Iruka had gotten wistful as he described a particular incid-

"You faced off against Hanzo!" Sakura gasped in shock as she remembered, her finger unconsciously pointing at the boy in front of her, "I remember reading about it! You were in Ame to gather information on the current situation and then... Then you were found out. You were chased across the country by Hanzo until you eventually snuck across the border back into Hi no Kuni! Oh, how didn't I remember that earlier? After you got away from him Hanzo gave you a title, it was-"

"Konoha's Slippery Fox." Kakashi finished for her, "Naruto was a member of ANBU at the time and famous for his ability to sneak into enemy lines and sabotage from within, hence the fox title." He didn't mention the part where Naruto had used the Kyuubi's chakra to escape Hanzo and thus was nicknamed such. The genin didn't need to know that particular part.

Naruto, to his credit, displayed only irritation on his face, "I hate that man, always titling people - as if he has the right." Of course, his hatred ran deeper than such a petty thing; the man had left him with a vicious scar down his right forearm from when he had gotten a little _too _close.

The three genin all took in the information in varying ways. Hiroki was suitably humbled; Hanzo was famous even in the academy as a man of unfathomable power. Sasuke meanwhile knew that there were only three incidents of Konoha shinobi surviving against Hanzo. The first had been when Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's White Fang, had forced Hanzo into personal combat. The two had reputedly battled for days until finally Sakumo was forced to retreat due to Konoha losses. Hanzo had been impressed with the man and gave him his lifelong moniker, claiming that the man was the first to touch him in battle since his ascension to the leader of Ame.

The next incident had been when perhaps the most famous current Konoha shinobi, the Densetsu no Sannin, had faced off against him three on one. In a battle in which Hanzo had been forced to summon Ibuse and use his most widespread and dangerous techniques the three Konoha shinobi had survived and so the man had let them live, giving them the title of the Legendary Three Ninja. They then took this nickname to worldwide fame in the rest of the Second Shinobi War and the Third Shinobi War, becoming the sword to which Konoha pointed at their foes.

The third, and Sasuke had only heard whispers of such a feat from conversations between the Hokage and several administrative staff members when he had been in the office for one of his schedule checkups, had been that a high-profile member of Konoha's ANBU had fought against Hanzo until they could finally retreat across the border. The legendary shinobi was so greatly amused by the Konoha-nin's ability to hold off against him and thenescape_ alive_ that he had given him the backhanded compliment of Konoha's Slippery Fox - both an insult and praise from the man.

Sakura herself had realised something shocking, "B-But that means you were only ten when you fought him!" The terrified expression on her face revealed how she thought about having to do such a thing.

"It wasn't exactly a fight - more a pursuit." Naruto would of shuddered if he didn't have so much control over his emotions, "The man would of swiftly defeated me if I had stood my ground. I had to use _unusual _means to escape." Hundreds of traps set up by clones and countless attempts to trick Hanzo into fighting his own shinobi as they travelled across the land had been the most common methods. He had also engaged in unpleasant activities, such as travelling through Ame's sewage water and a slaughterhouse at one point. Regardless, he had survived to give the Hokage the information and that was all that mattered.

The event had been the final nail in the coffin for his ANBU career. An illustrious three year tour of duty had seen him travel across the land, most of the time being chased in some form or another. Having escaped Hanzo with death on his heels the Sandaime had honourably discharged the boy and given him a promotion to Jonin. While Naruto wasn't exactly unhappy with the turn of events he _was _disappointed with having to leave the infamous group of shinobi. It had been where he had met perhaps his only _real _friends; members such as Tenzo and the now traitorous Itachi had been so much like him he had drawn close to them.

Naruto would of shook his head to dispel his thoughts if he didn't realise such an action was pointless. Instead, he merely finished his meal and prepared to leave. Tightening his clothing and slipping on his shinobi sandals, he turned to Tsunami and bowed lowly.

"Thank you for your hospitality." He explained to the woman politely.

She merely smiled, "Oh! It was no problem! We should be thanking you."

"Thanks are not necessary - I did what was expected." He then turned to Kakashi and nodded at the man slowly. As soon as he received a quick nod of assent from the copy-nin he opened the door to the house and slipped out quickly. It was time to report to the Hokage on his findings.

As soon as the boy left Hiroki seemed to regain his arrogance, "Pah! This Hanzo guy musn't of been as strong as everyone says." As he spoke Kakashi rubbed his temple in discontent - what was he going to _do_ with this child?

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hiroki: Japanese name meaning "abundant joy/strength."**

**If you haven't realised Hiroki is essentially an obnoxious, loud, Naruto-esque kid. Sasuke and Sakura are (supposed to be) like their canon counterparts. In terms of Naruto himself I'm trying to make him out as relatively distant yet still polite and while there are going to be very few things that will draw out an emotional response from him, teammates/comrades in danger will be an important one.**

**In terms of skill I thought I'd work off of the idea that he was naturally talented from birth and insanely quick at learning in the hands on approach - this is all canonical really. The big difference is that I've made him book-smart too.**

**I hope you like what I did with Hanzo and Sakumo - I thought it'd be cool to make Hanzo out like this self-important guy who liked to label people. It was a pleasant coincidence that there was no specific point to which Sakumo got his moniker. Sorry if it seems Naruto is _too _strong but I'd still only place him around Kakashi's pre-timeskip level (A-Rank). He'd still get destroyed by any of the Sannin or the Kages.**

**I apologise for using the Wave Arc as a way to introduce him but don't worry, it was merely my solution to bring him into the picture. He'll be doing his own thing soon, away from the nasty genin. I'll also be having flashbacks to his training every now and then as a way to solidify his attitude and skillset. The main reason I had the first scene was merely to allow reasoning behind his early training.**

**By the way; the name of the story and description are subject to change for a while - depending on how I let this story progress.**


	2. A Mercurial Enemy Is Most Dangerous

**Embraced By Crimson**

_Chapter 2: A Mercurial Enemy Is Most Dangerous_

* * *

**|Konoha - Classified Location|**

Naruto shuffled on his feet quietly. He refused to blame it on nerves. No, he was simply restless. He _couldn't _be nervous; he was a shinobi. Regardless, he still moved side to side as the Hokage quietly perused the document in front of him. His two advisers, Koharu and Homura, flanked him on either side and waited patiently for the man to say something. Closer to Naruto sat Nara Shikaku; current Jonin Commander of Konoha and a man of incredible intellect. Next to him was Danzo. The old warhawk was staring at Naruto intensely, as he always did when the boy gave his reports. When he was younger and in ANBU his mask had protected him from the pervading eyes but now he felt bare, as if the man was looking into his very soul.

The five of them were all around a rectangular table deep in the Hokage Mountain and Naruto stood in front of the table silently. The room was classified and where only the most secretive and dangerous missions were either given or finished. Naruto himself was only standing in the foreboding room because of the disturbing information he had gathered while exploring the depths of Orochimaru's bases.

The wizened Hokage finally decided to speak, "This information is accurate?" He stressed his words, "You are absolutely certain?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The man hummed for a moment as he thought about the information on the paper in front of him.

"This information will _not _leave this room." He stared pointedly at Danzo, "Does anyone else know, Naruto?"

The boy nodded slowly, "Elite Jonin Hatake Kakashi. He requested a report and I felt it prudent form a contingency plan in case I was unable to finish mission parameters."

"A wise choice, Shinku." Danzo tilted his head as he spoke. The Sandaime whipped his head around and gave a pointed look at the crippled man. Danzo never called Naruto by name - he instead used his old ANBU code-name 'Shinku'. Sarutobi had requested Naruto retake his birth-name but the other man always refused to follow such a request.

Homura interrupted the staring contest quietly, "If Orochimaru intends to strike during the exam perhaps we should call it off entirely?" The group of individuals went silent as he spoke, each pondering such a decision.

"I would advise against such an action," Shikaku spoke up, "It may force Orochimaru's hand. As it is he is predictable and the situation malleable. No, I recommend we 'play along'."

Koharu nodded, "I agree. I would prefer if we didn't push the traitor into a corner." She looked specifically at the Sandaime, "As we know, he can become quite _capricious_ when he is under threat." The silent jab at Sarutobi's past actions surrounding the snake didn't go unnoticed in the room but no one voiced their concerns on it; the two elders often did so and it was a common occurrence.

"Very well. We shall string him along for now." The Hokage announced to the room, "Koharu, Homura; prepare for the economic disparity that will be caused by such an incursion on our lands." The two nodded in assent, "Danzo, do what must be done to reduce enemy efficiency." The underlining meaning of 'assassinate whoever you want' was obvious, "Shikaku, prepare troop movements for the day and ensure the civilian evacuation procedures are up to par." The shadow-user grunted as a reply, "I shall inform the required individuals and assign them as needed. Naruto," The boy straightened to attention, "Find Jiraiya - I don't care how - and inform him of our plight. Ensure he returns to the village as soon as possible. After that, find Tsunade and _bring her back_."

The elders in the room stiffened as he spoke while Shikaku merely raised an eyebrow; the medic-nin had always been a sore point for the Sandaime. She had forsaken her home when they needed her most and had only survived by promising to stay loyal and in Konoha lands. There had been countless times that the council had demanded Sarutobi summon her to the village and he had always refused. It seemed the man had finally lost his patience with her.

"You are authorized to use force although I wouldn't recommend it. Tell her she is to return to the village by the start of the exams or be labeled a missing-nin to be killed on sight." Even the unflappable Shikaku widened his eyes at that; the Hokage was obviously done talking with the woman. "This will be classified as an A-rank mission due to the requirement for it to be completed _before_ the exams begin."

The boy nodded, "As you wish, Hokage-sama."

* * *

**|A Few Minutes Later...|**

The first thing Naruto did was head toward his apartment. It was fairly close to the Hokage Tower as the boy felt he spent more time in the office then in his own home. He climbed the stairs quickly and opened his door with his keys. Inside was a fairly spartan arrangement; a small kitchen with a dining room that doubled as his living room. A bathroom connected to it on the right and on the left lay the door to his bedroom. He strode into his bedroom silently and adorned his usual red outfit.

He had originally worn the usual combination of blue, black and green that Konoha shinobi were seen in however after his tenure in ANBU his notoriety rose in the shinobi villages and he was infamous for the blood-splattered 'crimson' look that he always seemed to have. Because of this he chose to change his wardrobe to one of a primarily red outfit. While it was partly a way to identify himself in the world it also was a great psychological tactic, intimidating countless enemies.

As soon as he was ready he moved to grab his ninjato and slung it across his back. The sword had been given to him as a part of his graduation into the ANBU ranks and so held a spot in his heart for it's sentimentality. As soon as he was satisfied with it's position he also grabbed the, in comparison, diminutive wakizashi that the Sandaime had given to him upon reaching the rank of jonin and attached it to his right hip. He had only recently mastered the use of both at once, with his ninjato being held in his right hand and his wakizashi in his left.

Happy with his equipment, he moved out of the bedroom and then out of the building entirely. He moved deftly through the streets until he came upon one of the countless jonin-only supply stations. As he walked in he sighed in annoyance at the large line. While his mission was relatively important he didn't think it would constitute cutting the line as he usually did. Being a fast response shinobi meant he was often sent out ASAP to deal with whatever issues the village was facing.

He walked to the back of the line and almost groaned when he saw who was at the back, _almost_, "Hey brat! Hey! Hey!" Mitarashi Anko stood at the back with a dango stick in her mouth and crazed grin on her face, "Get the _fuck _over here and talk to Anko-chan." Several people sent Naruto pitying glances as they heard the woman swooning over him. As he walked over he realised that Anko's friend, Kurenai, was standing next to her and watching her behavior with varying degrees of embarrassment.

"Anko," He greeted her familiarly - the woman had taught him about poisons when he was younger, "Yūhi-san." He bowed his head at the crimson-eyed woman who raised her eyebrow at his formal greeting. They had never met before and the woman was surprised at his respectful tone.

"I haven't seen you in _ages_!" The woman exclaimed excitedly. And it was true; the last time Anko had seen him was during his tenure in ANBU. In fact, she had talked to him just before one of his 'emotional conditioning' sessions. As he thought about it a memory flashed before his eyes:_  
_

* * *

**|Eight Years After Kyuubi...|**

_The man drew his face back from the shadows and stared down at the shivering boy in front of him without any visible emotions. The boy was beaten and bruised having been punished for his lack of control over himself. The boy had made the mistake of suggesting he had close friends. Such connections were useless; one had comrades and that was all. At least, that's what Danzo believed and since the cripple had managed to get his hands on some of the boy's training schedule he had tried enforcing such a belief on him._

_It was surprising when the man thought about it; the Hokage had prescribed the training and yet had no clue that the boy went through such harsh conditioning. It all happened right under his nose. Shrugging off the thoughts, the man returned his gaze to the bleeding boy in front of him. He was strapped to the chair and struggling to regain control of his freezing body._

_"Friends. What are they?"_

_The boy looked up coldly, "Bonds."_

_The man nodded, "And what do bonds do?"_

_"Restrict."_

_The man smirked._

_"Good."_

* * *

Naruto shook his head to dismiss the dark memories. When the Hokage had found out about the sessions he had been furious and Danzo experienced a public dressing down in front of the entire council. The man took it in stride remarkably well however, knowing that the damage had already been done to the boy. Naruto no longer found it easy to bond with people his age. He was friendly with his comrades and people of his rank but went no further. To him, it only brought back bad memories.

Focusing on Anko he nodded at her statement, "I was eight."

"So what ya here for anyway?" She grinned from ear-to-ear as she spoke.

"I'm collecting some soldier pills and a new forehead protector." When he had been escaping from Orochimaru one of the pursuers, a Kaguya, had almost skewered his head. Fortunately, he managed to get away with only a half broken headband. Regardless, he had to acquire a new one before he left for the village; not wearing identification was suspicious in and of itself.

The snake-user nod emphatically, "I know the feeling - my first forehead protector lasted from genin all the way to chunin." She paused and sighed melodramatically, "It made me so _sad_ but Ibiki made it all better by giving me some fun in T&I!" She smirked maliciously as she spoke and Naruto clicked his tongue in distaste - he could never handle the dirty work the woman did.

"Honestly Anko, you should get out of that field." Kurenai announced.

"You're just _jealous_ cause you can't do it to your genin." She seemed to think for a moment, "Actually, I might be able to get that organ-"

The woman interrupted quickly, "I'd appreciate if you didn't kill my students."

Naruto ignored the bickering between the two and instead focused on the now dwindling line in front of them. Fairly soon they were at the front and as the man one of the countless deks beckoned the two women over Anko pouted and turned to look at Naruto sadly.

"Well, I gotta go Naruto. Catch ya!" As she spoke Kurenai merely waved a hand to say goodbye before following her abnormal friend to the desk. The blonde stood silently and waited for a moment before he was beckoned to approach an empty desk by the woman currently sitting behind it. He quickly walked over until he was standing in front and she stared at him for a moment.

"What do you need?" The woman asked politely.

"Soldier pills and a new black forehead protector." He smiled lightly at the woman, as feigned as it was.

Nodding in assent she quickly shuffled through the shelves behind her, "The soldier pills are... right... Here!" She grabbed a small box and then turned and threw them at the boy. Naruto caught them quickly and put them in one of the pockets on his chunin vest. "And here is a new headband!" As she said it she presented it in her hands. The boy grabbed it quickly and tied it around his head. A sigh of contentment was let out as he realised he was finally fully equipped.

"Thank you." He bowed his head in deference.

"No problem!" She smiled and then shooed him away. The boy quickly complied and soon found himself out of the building. He traveled toward the gate quickly, using his speed to get there as fast as possible. He soon arrived and, in the presence of the opening created by the gates, flashed through a set of handseals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He muttered as he slammed the palm of his hand down on the ground. Smoke whirled around the technique before finally dissipating. In it's place stood a small toad. Mostly red in colour, the toad had blue markings on it's head and ears and a set of goggles around it's neck. It was Kosuke; a prominent messenger toad that Naruto often used.

"Naruto-sama." The toad bowed lowly. Most of the younger toads were incredibly respectful to the blonde while the older spoke on familiar terms with him. Only the two sage toads, Shima and Fukasaku, talked down to him and it was in an endearing way.

"Kosuke, I need you to find Jiraiya and deliver a message," He paused for a moment and spoke lowly, "The monkey requests an immediate audience concerning the snake - no exceptions. Stress the importance of this message." He looked at the toad intensely for a moment, "He _has _to return to the village as soon as possible. If you can't find him within the week let me know and I'll take over."

The toad sat silently and nodded as the boy spoke, indicating his understanding of what was required of him, "Of course, Naruto-sama! I'll get straight to it!" And with that the toad disappeared in another puff of smoke. The blonde knew the toad had returned to the mountain in order to both inform the elder toads and question the rest on the current whereabouts of Jiraiya. Satisfied with one half of his mission being completed, he turned his focus to the much more difficult part; finding _and _convincing Tsunade to return.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He shouted as five-hundred clones popped into existence around the gate opening. He could see the indignant glares of Kotetsu and Izumo as their view was blocked by hundreds of bodies but he was sure they'd forgive him considering the reasoning behind it. Within seconds the clones had shot off out of the village in completely different locations as they searched the country-side for Tsunade.

Usually he would have had to flash his official mission scroll to the two chunin at the gates but one of the advantages of being a Jonin - and one in the Sandaime's trusted inner circle at that - was the ability to slip past the bureaucratic red tape. He was able to get away with avoiding the usual check-ins shinobi would have to go through before leaving the village.

Before he himself could get through the village gates however, he was met with the sight of Kakashi and his team returning from their mission. Adopting his usual pose of his right hand leaning on his wakizashi, he walked toward the group quietly. He passed Kotetsu and Izumo as he did so with both chunin raising their fists in anger due to the clones he had sent running.

"Uzumaki-san I swear to god!" Kotetsu grumbled angrily. This caught the attention of Team Seven who all noticed Naruto's fully equipped appearance and notable lack of injuries in bewilderment. Before they could comment however, they were distracted by the sight of Izumo hitting his partner over the head half-heartedly.

"Kotetsu, he obviously has a reason." The man spoke in a deadpanned voice. Before Naruto and Team Seven knew it the two had resorted to bickering among themselves. Ignoring the two chunin guards, Naruto walked toward Kakashi with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought your mission wasn't due to complete for several weeks, Hatake-san?" It was true; the man had mentioned how they had to protect the bridge-builder for quite some time.

Kakashi merely rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, ah, seeing as how you removed Gato's shinobi I thought I might have a chat with him." What the man was trying to say was that he had sought out the now unprotected Gato and assassinated him. Because of this, him and his team were obviously no longer needed and so resolved to return home.

Hiroki didn't seem to grasp on to the hidden message, "What did ya even say to him to get him to leave us alone sensei?" He grinned from ear-to-ear as he spoke, happy with the success of their mission. Sasuke meanwhile, gave the boy a look that clearly wondered if he was an idiot while Sakura openly sighed in exasperation before hitting him over the top of his head.

"Idiot! Kakashi's not going to tell you!" At this the boy looked suitably cowed, rubbing the top of his head in pain.

Naruto would of laughed at the sight if he were a normal shinobi. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, he wasn't and so he merely stared at two in abject disinterest. Kakashi meanwhile, returned his inquisitorial gaze back to the young jonin, staring him down and silently asking what mission had been assigned.

"Leaving so soon, Naruto?" He smiled as he spoke.

The blonde nodded, "I'm to find the teammates of the problem." His convoluted reply was good enough to confuse the genin while Kakashi merely nodded in assent.

"A good idea, I'd say." Nodded emphatically, he missed the sight of his three genin preening to listen. Or perhaps he merely ignored them.

"Eh?! What are ya talking about?" Hiroki's insufferable voice pierced the air.

Kakashi turned to his student and ruffled his hair amicably, "Maa, nothing for you to worry about Hiroki-kun - the _adults _are talking." The boy obviously took great offence to his dismissal, if the way his face scrunched up into a furious expression was anything to go by. Regardless, the child went silent under the intense gaze of his sensei.

Naruto, seeing a possible argument occurring, decided to extract himself from the volatile situation, "I'll take my leave, Hatake-san."

The man whipped his head around, beaming smile back in place, "Of course Naruto." As the boy prepared to leave he added, "Oh, and call me Kakashi."

* * *

**|The Next Day...|**

As he looked around Tanzaku-gai Naruto was shocked at the sheer size of the place; it was at least as big as Konoha with every building being involved in the entertainment business rather than the shinobi arts like the village he fought for. He had only come to the notorious town due to a tip from one of the countless Kage Bunshin he had scattered across Hi no Kuni that the 'Legendary Sucker' was in town and gambling. Several Casinos had promptly upped the ante on their advertisements in a hopeful bid to earn both Tsunade's prsence and the undoubtedly huge winnings that she would leave them with.

It would have been insulting to the woman if it weren't for the fact that it was true; everywhere she went gambling places prayed that she would visit. Because of this, she was almost like a walking festival and it was impossible for her to stay out of the public eye too much unless she underwent a henge. Shrugging off the thoughts, Naruto peered around the area silently, looking at the buildings surrounding him.

He was in the Red Lights District and any of the buildings could contain Tsunade. It was simply a matter of time before he found her. Slowly, he walked toward the casino that seemed to have drawn the largest crowd. Sure enough, countless people surrounded a blonde woman's table in the hopes of having a chance to play against her. With the diamond shape on her forehead it was undeniable; it was one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade.

He approached her slowly, the crowd parting ways to allow a shinobi through. As he neared the woman noticed his figure and frowned slightly. He reached her and stood silently, waiting for her to finish the hand she was currently on. Understandign quickly dawned on her and so she returned her attention to the game momentarily. Within a minute she had lost rather spectacularly.

"I'm out, someone else can take my spot." The blonde haired woman announced to the dealer in frustration. She scooped up her remaining pieces and got out of the chair before heading away from the bustling crowd. Eyes followed her retreating form but upon seeing Naruto follow after her didn't deign to pursue; their curiosity suitably cowed by the appearance of a Konoha shinobi. Only a woman with short black hair and a pig in her arms followed after them, scampering around Tsunade desperately.

As they left the building and were out on the now suspiciously empty street the Sannin turned and looked at Naruto, "Wow, standards sure have dropped - you're not even a teen!" She raised an eyebrow at his youthful appearance, "Whatever. What do you want?" It was gruff and not particularly kind but Naruto had been debriefed on the woman's psyche. It explained in her files that she disliked the village and any shinobi from it.

"Tsunade-sama," She snorted at his formal tone, "Your presence is required by the Hokage."

Her eyes turned into daggers at that, "Well that's too bad, cause I'm not going back to that hole." Naruto stopped and thought for a moment whether it would first be appropriate to mention Orochimaru's plans before resorting to threats. He decided it would be.

"Your old teammate, Orochimaru," Now a scowl flicked across her face, "Is moving on Konoha. The Sandaime had requested that you return and perform your duty to the village."

"Why should I care what the old fart wants? No, I think I'll let them deal with the snake bastard by themselves." The woman's companion looked apalled at the Sannin's callous tone and stared at the confrontation in shock.

Naruto merely sighed, "Hokage-sama stated you are to return to the village before the Chunin Exams. Failure to do so will result in a termination of your Konoha shinobi status and a place in the bingo books with a kill on sight order." If the woman had been angry at the boy's earlier comments she was positively furious now. The sheer audacity of the Sandaime to force her hand like this angered her like nothing else. The black-haired woman meanwhile, looked mortified.

The woman with the pig in her hands began to speak, "Tsunade-sam-"

"Shut up Shizune!" Tsunade interrupted her quickly, rubbing her forehead in frustration at the situation. She stared at the boy in front of her first in cold fury before suddenly her face morphed in bemusement, "And you think you can take me? A greenhorn like you?"

"I have been authorized to use force if necessary." Naruto intoned, ignoring the blonde woman's bait. The woman merely laughed in response. Rather than one of humor, the laugh was mocking and had undertones of frustrated acceptance in it.

"Fine, the old fool can have his wish. But," At this her eyes drew into a glare, "He'll regret using me." Naruto didn't respond to her comment and, if the look on her face was anything to go by, she was disappointed by his lack of a reaction, "Shizune, go get our stuff from the hotel. I'll wait her with our _company_." She smirked condescendingly at the blonde-haired boy. The black-haired woman quickly complied and hurried away from the two of them. Tsunade looked at Naruto in curiosity, "So brat, who are you?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in response.

The woman sighed, "You know? Your name, rank and moniker?" Naruto's back stiffened suddenly and his eyes drew closed. His countenance, which had just been that of a lazy disinterest, switched to a professional, dull-eyed shinobi.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Elite Jonin. Commonly referred to as Shinku."

_'Crimson, eh?' _Tsunade wondered, "Ah, so you're _that _one. Such a shame to waste your life like an idiot." Shrugging her shoulders, she turned from him, "Oh well, not my problem." Once again, Naruto ignored her bait although internally he wondered what could possibly have made a woman like this so jaded.

* * *

**|A Few Days Later...|**

Jiraiya skulled the drink in his hand quickly and smashed it on the table like a madman, grinning as he did so. He had just finished meeting with a contact surrounding an elusive organisation that had been evading his spy network for several years and so now, on the cusp of victory, he felt he deserved the right to engage in some _unsavory _rewards. Namely, sake and women.

Unfortunately that was not to be as he was suddenly knocked back off the bar stool he had been sitting on by a puff of smoke in front of him. As soon as the action had occurred the Sannin's eyes had scanned across the dingy bar for possible threats. Seeing none, he resolved to merely keep his guard up while inspecting the aforementioned smoke.

As it dissipated to reveal a red toad smiling at him he relaxed entirely and resumed his seat on the table, "Kosuke, you scared the crap outta me!" He thrust his fist menacingly at the young toad who had the decency to look sheepish in light of Jiraiya's words.

"Apologies, Jiraiya-dono," The man almost snorted - he used to be 'sama' but ever since the brat had eclipsed his sage abilities he had been shunted to the side, "But I have a message for you."

The white-haired man merely raised his eyebrow, "Do tell." The only person who could contact him through toads was-

"Naruto-sama wished for me to stress the importance of this before I relay it."

"Important, got it!"

"The monkey requests an immediate audience concerning the snake - no exceptions." The toad intoned quietly, "You _must _return to the village as soon as possible." Now Jiraiya was definitely intrigued; the mere fact that he was essentially being _forced _back spoke of either an incredible victory or an incredible danger. For the wellbeing of his village he wished with all his heart it was the former. The colder, more logical part of his brain told him it would be the latter however, and so he nodded quickly at the toad.

"I'll return immediately. Thanks for the heads up, Kosuke." He stood up slowly, stretching his limbs in preparation for the long trip home.

The toad grinned, "Call me if you need me, Jiraiya-dono." With a puff of smoke the toad disappeared and the Sannin whirled through the doors of the bar, heading toward his home.

* * *

**|Meanwhile...|**

They were close to Konoha - within a day's travel at the very maximum - and Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly irritated at the drunk woman's attitude beside him. Having had to deal with a severely disgruntled Sannin had pushed the twelve year olds normally flexible patience to the very edge; if she wasn't spouting off about how much of a _child _Naruto was then she was insulting the Sandaime and his ideals.

Now while Naruto wasn't one for emotional outbursts even he could feel himself reaching his limit. The Sandaime had taken him when he was nothing - a child of no more than four years - and had turned him into what he was. He owed everything to the man, from his shinobi skillset to the very fact that he was living. Having attained the rank of jonin he was privy to many of the previously classified incidents surrounding him.

Dozens of assassination attempts whether internal or external had occurred surrounding the blonde boy when he was younger. They were all quickly stopped by either his carer, an elusive ANBU that went by the name Inu, or the Hokage himself. And those that were caught were punished mercilessly. Eventually people got the picture and the attempts stopped before he was the age of two. Regardless, the aged leader of Konoha had protected Naruto from those that would wish to harm him and so he had promised on his promotion to jonin that he would serve the venerable leader unto death. He would live by the ideals the man treasured - whether he understood them or not.

And so when he heard Tsunade, his own student no less, insult the man so thoroughly he felt himself grow angered beyond what he would usually allow. Shizune seemed to notice his darkening gaze as they traveled as one night, when they had stopped to rest, she had beckoned him aside while Tsunade slept off the heavy drinking of the day and explained to him why the woman was so bitter.

"You see, she's lost everyone close to her," She had said as she explained the deaths of Tsunades brother; Nawaki and her lover; Dan. It was a grim series of events, one couldn't deny that, but Naruto was appalled that the woman would spit in the face of their memories. He had listened silently as Shizune tried desperately to justify her master's actions and had thanked her quietly for telling him. Other than that, he didn't indicate any response to the issues. That, more than anything, had informed Shizune of his still present ire.

So here he was, glowering at the woman in front of him, as she talked in disgust about her old village, "Such a foolish position... Hokage? Ha!" She gloated over the boy madly.

"Do you have no respect?" It was a cold fury that could be detected in his voice - he had had enough of listening, "Do you _want _to sully the memories of such heroes?" His voice was tinged with such asperity that Shizune had taken a step back in worry.

The woman merely laughed in his face, "What? The four idiots? They're not heroes - not even close."

"No," Naruto began slowly, "Not just the Hokages. I am not ignorant of your past," He spoke carefully but the harshness of his voice remained, "Nawaki and Dan - they wished to become Hokage, to protect the village and it's people." The woman's gaze changed to shock as he spoke, "Do you wish tospit on _their _memory?"

"Don't you dare say their name!" She hissed as she stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar.

Naruto grunted in pain but ignored her hand on his clothes, "I admire them - they deserve more respect than you give them," As she looked like she was about to punch him Naruto quickly added, "I love my village and the people in it - I too want to protect them, save them from those that wish them harm." The blonde haired woman staggered backwards in shock, dropping him as she did so.

An image flashed through Tsunade's mind:

_"I dearly love both the village and my comrades… That is why I want to protect them."_

"Dan?" Her voice was hoarse as she spoke. She stared at Naruto in both horror and surprise as the image of her lover appeared in front of him.

_"I love my village and the people in it - I too want to protect them."_

Her head lowered in shame, "Shut up." Rather than anger, it was filled with regret, and so the boy did so. He stood back up and looked at her silently as the woman regained her own bearings and stalked forwards, in front of the two shinobi behind her. Her face was lowered and she seemed deep in thought as she walked. Shizune, to her credit, seemed both surprised and happy - as if what Naruto had said was something she had wanted to hear for years. She gave a soft, sad smiled at the boy before moving forward herself, just behind her mentor. Naruto resumed walking himself and took his spot behind the two of them as they silently walked toward Konoha.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going to have fairly short chapters for this story - only 5-6K. This is simply because my other story 'The Shadow Of A Flash' is my main focus.**

**I thought Naruto would remind Tsunade more of Dan in my story than of Nawaki, considering the difference in his personality. Oh, and don't worry too much about the similarity to canon - she's not gonna suddenly take up the position of Godaime - I merely decided she still needed the slap to the face that she got in canon in order for her to _faithfully _work for the village. She's still not quite happy with the place, Naruto's going to knock her ideals to the ground a few more times in the future before she's fully satisfied.**

**This is mostly a bridging chapter before all the big shit starts to happen. A big confrontation between Orochimaru, the invasion itself - it's all coming in the next few chapters. So... stay tuned!**

**Feel free to bring up any errors - I'm not using a beta-reader and am sure to miss many of my own mistakes**


	3. Sinister Developments

**Embraced By Crimson**

_Chapter 3: Sinister Developments_

* * *

**|Konoha - Village Gates|**

The final few hours of travel back to Konoha was notably subdued in comparison to the argumentative air it had had earlier in the trip. Tsunade no longer tried to rile Naruto up and he responded accordingly; distancing himself from the obviously distraught woman. Shizune did her best to removed the tenseness of the situation by engaging in small talk with the blonde but every time she tried he would reply curtly and then dissuade any belief that a real conversation could be held with him

They were incredibly close to the village now. It within a ten minute walk and they could see the imposing gates in the distance. Even with her home so close Tsunade refused to converse and hung at the front of the group like a dead man walking. As they finally came within reach of the guard booth and the two chunin saw the approach of the legendary Sannin, Shizune felt a sense of relief wash over her; she hadn't seen her home in so long.

Izumo and Kotetsu were gobsmacked by the sight of a visibly irritated Naruto escorting the Legendary Sucker and her apprentice back into town. It was common knowledge now that the woman held little to no love for the village that she had been born to. Instead, a deep sense of loathing and regret sat in her stomach and she avoided the place like the plague. So to see the woman walking somewhat willingly into the village she detested the two would justifiably impressed with the blonde boy behind her. They didn't even want to know what he had to do to make her return. Regardless, they were thankful; a Sannin in the village was always good - unless it's Orochimaru but that's a different story for another day.

Kotetsu beamed at the three, "Welcome back to Konoha, Tsunade-sama!" His goofy smile wavered at her withering look and so he turned his attention to the others in the group, "Shizune-san, Naruto!" Before the two could respond Izumo walked up behind his childish partner and bopped him on the back of the head.

"How many times have I told... It's Uzumaki-san! I swear one day you're going to insult a daimyo or something by accident."

The man looked back angrily, "Yeah well at least I'm _pleasant _when I greet people."

Naruto tuned out the banter between the two; it always happened when he returned or left the village. The chunin seemed to take a sick pleasure in being foolish around him. Although it was probably everyone that they acted like idiots around. Refocusing his attention to the distressed Sannin in front of him who seemed to be staring at the buildings of the village in deeply seeded resentment, he gave her a pointed look.

"We need to go to the tower." He specifically looked at Tsunade, "So that Hokage-sama is aware of your presence." The woman scoffed in derision but he knew she'd follow him while Shizune merely smiled weakly in assent. He quickly began to walk through the village, ignoring the stares and attitude of the villagers surrounding him.

Shizune however, watched the entire thing in surprise; wherever the boy walked the villagers would glare and spit in disgust while the shinobi would either bow respectfully or stare in curiosity. While the boy had been harsh on Tsunade at one point the boy had seemed to be a polite and, while stiff, serious shinobi deserving of more respect from the village. What had he done to cause so much ire?

The blonde woman in the group merely watched the reactions of the population to Naruto in amusement. As soon as the boy had told her his name she knew who he was and what he contained. The way the villagers were treating him only reinforced her belief that the place was undeserving of her presence. What made it even worse was the hidden lineage of the boy. To be the heir to a near-extinct clan and the son of a hero should have guaranteed a sort of worship. Instead he faced ridicule and scorn, although the shinobi seemed to defer to the boy which was interesting in and of itself considering his age; it meant he was either a prodigy of incomparable proportions or that he had been out in the field quite some time. Some part of her realised it was both.

They soon found themselves standing outside the office of the venerable leader of Konoha and the woman watched as Naruto slowly walked up to the Hokage's secretary. He politely asked to see the man and the woman, while working on something on her desk, looked up for a moment and, realising who it was, waved him away. She had said something along the lines of, 'if I said no would you obey?' and then muttered, 'just go in you silly child'. Tsunade noticed the exchange wasn't entirely hostile. In fact, it seemed the woman truly believed the boy would disobey her if the resigned smile on her lips was anything to go by. The jonin quickly thanked her and was given a 'no worries' before he led his two charges into the room.

As the door opened Tsunade was greeted with a sight she hadn't thought she'd ever see again; the wizened leader of Konoha and her sensei was smoking a pipe and smiling benevolently. She wanted to snort out loud at the blatantly obvious attempt to get in her good graces. Instead she simply sighed before striding forward and staring at him intensely.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Sarutobi, to his credit, took the insulting tone rather well and merely sighed as she spoke, "Things are moving fast, Tsunade." He paused and contemplated his next words, "And I'm afraid if I didn't talk to you soon then you would end up on the _wrong _side." The implication was obvious; he was worried about her loyalties. While Shizune's breathing hitched slightly in shock Tsunade narrowed her eyes in anger at the man.

"You dare to suggest I would ally myself with that _scum_?" Her words, although angry, lacked the usual viciousness associated with them. Instead she seemed resigned with the man's distrust, "I might be disgusted with this place but siding with that snake bastard goes against everything I stand for." And it was true; Orochimaru experimented while Tsunade healed - he was the other side of the coin to her.

The man raised his hands placatingly, "One must be sure. Even you surely still understand that?"

"Tch! As cold as ever I see." Tsunade's eyes flickered with what seemed to be hurt for a moment, "Whatever. Just tell me what I'm here for already." The battle of wills was finally dissipating and it was obvious to the two spectators of Naruto and Shizune that the blonde busty woman had lost it. There was a moment of silence as the oldest member in the room looked out the window and collected his thoughts.

"Shizune, could you please leave the room?" Sarutobi asked the woman softly.

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." While confused by the order the woman was nothing if not respectful and so obeyed the order quickly.

As soon as she left Tsunade lifted an eyebrow in surprise, "If she's gotta go why is your pet dog still here?" The other blonde in the room realised she was referring to him when she said 'pet dog'. A part of Naruto's mind bristled at the insult but he controlled himself and ignored his anger.

"Naruto-kun is directly responsible for the information I'm about to reveal to you. It'd be a bit unfair if I kept him out of the loop." Hiruzen gave Naruto a soft grin as he spoke. Suddenly, he held his hands in a seal and the sudden glow around the room revealed that he had activated the countless security and privacy seals around the room. He turned and looked directly at Tsunade, "Orochimaru plans to attack the village during the Chunin Exams - the final portion, to be specific."

A slight widening of the eyes revealed Tsunade's shock, "He's that foolish?"

"I'm afraid so," The man was secretly thankful for the woman's switch in attitude, "I had originally called you back to reduce the chances of your... _defection_." The inflection in the last word was soft and hesitant, as if he couldn't bear the idea. From the way Tsunade was looking at him it was obvious she couldn't either, "But it is also appropriate for you to return; you've been outside of these walls for too long, my student. You've had a superfluous amount of time to grieve; it's time you return to service."

The woman face morphed into a snarl, "Don't talk to me like a child, _sensei_," The venom in the word was particularly vicious, "I've lost more than my fair share to this village!"

The man's gaze hardened, "And so we return to the root of the issue..." He sighed and rubbed his forehead in stress, "I've always given you the space you've asked for but the time for such kindness is over; you _will _take over the hospital and you _will _fight for this village once more. The only other option is resignation." He stared at her furious face, "It's time you choose whether dwelling on the past is worth the cost of the present." Naruto shifted uncomfortably, he felt awkward being in the room; as if he shouldn't be privy to such a private conflict.

"Fine, you old fossil." She spat her insult out in disgust, "I'll do my _duty_. But once this is over, I'm gone - for good." She had becoming deathly calm near the end and stared coldly at her old sensei.

The man nodded in sadness, "If that's how you wish it to be."

* * *

**|Konoha - Elite Jonin Council|**

Shikaku stretched his legs under the table silently as he watched the proceedings in front of him. He was resting his elbows on the table with his chin on the tip of his hands, listening to the people babbling around him in mild interest. It was the first meeting with the Elite Jonins surrounding the impending invasion and, having just informed the group of skilled shinobi in front of him, they had dissolved into separated whispers of shock and disgust; Orochimaru was planning to invade their home and the Hokage was _letting _him.

To the Nara's right sat Naruto who was watching the discussion with what appeared to be both annoyance and forced attention. Most knew that the boy was seen as a sort of right-hand man to the Nara; his absolute loyalty combined with uncompromising approach to missions ensured he was of high value. To his left Kakashi lounged on his chair with his usual porn book out although his eyes could be seen darting around the room in vague interest. In front of the three was a collection of chairs that seated both the strongest and most intellectually gifted shinobi of the modern Konoha era.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Morino Ibiki were squabbling between each other, infuriated that the Torture and Interrogation Force and, by proxy, the Intelligence Division hadn't stumbled upon this information themselves. It was both a blow to their pride and a harsh black mark on their otherwise illustrious careers. Silently watching the two was Aburame Shibi, who had little reason to be involved in the meeting other than a personal request of Shikaku who saw the man as a valuable second opinion.

The current ANBU Commander was sitting quietly in a corner, his masked visage hidden by the shadows, and his two most trusted captains flanked either side of him. The three were yet to say a word and seemed to be watching the fiasco with traces of irritation. Directly opposite Shikaku were two empty seats that belonged to the remaining loyal Sannin, although it was no surprise that they were empty; Jiraiya was under increasingly heavy strain using his spy network to counter Orochimaru's while Tsunade had neither the motivation nor the knowledge to be of any use in the meeting.

In the interests of time the Hokage and the Elders were in their own separate meeting orchestrating everything from behind closed doors. The purpose of this meeting was to ensure a united front from the three particular areas of Konoha's infrastructure that were vital to the defence against the invasion; Ibiki and Inoichi represented the interests of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, the ANBU was represented by it's two captains and their commander while the normal shinobi forces were dependent upon Shikaku, Naruto, Kakashi and, to a lesser extent, Shibi.

"Alright, I think that's enough complaining for now." Shikaku directed the comment to Ibiki and Inoichi and both immediately went silent. The shadow-user grinned at their response before continuing, "I think it's time that we decide who is doing _what _during I-Day." Naruto resisted the temptation to rub his temple in distaste when Shikaku mentioned 'I-Day'. At some point during the countless meetings someone had coined the term as a way to describe the final portion of the exams. Now it was synonymous with the invasion day, "Ibiki, Inoichi, your role goes without saying; counter everything they throw at you and be sure to _entertain _any new guests in our beautiful dungeons." Several of the men grimaced when he mentioned the nickname for the ANBU underground holding cells - they were _not _pretty.

The two men nodded and Ibiki replied, "Of course."

Shikaku turned to look at the quiet guardians of Konoha, "Bird," The ANBU Commander inclined his head, "The Hokage is your priority; his protection is paramount. Otherwise, you are to conclude the preventative measures we have previously discussed. During the invasion your soldiers are to defend the village as anyone would expect."

"It will be done." His monotonous voice pierced the air.

"As Jonin Commander I will be orchestrating troop movements from ANBU Headquarters. This means I won't be able directly lead." Everyone looked at the man silently. What he was saying simply meant that he, as an individual, wouldn't be responsible for handing out orders to the shinobi out in the field. Naruto assumed that responsibility would fall to them.

"Kakashi," The copy-nin straightened his back, "I expect you to handle the jonin situation; assign portions of the village to each jonin and ensure that their presence on the battlefield leads to a cohesive front."

"Your wish is my command _master_." The way he said it made it obvious that he had read it from his book only moments ago and thus was clearly of pornographic reference. Naruto looked at him in disgust while Ibiki chuckled in the background. The ANBU were as silent as ever.

The man looked over to the bug-user in the room, "Shibi, the chunin will be under your command. I want them properly disseminated across the village in order to provide full support. The convoluted logistics behind such an operation are precisely why I am asking _you _to do this." The shadow-user was clearly trying to encourage the man; both stroking his ego and reinforcing the importance of his role.

"As you wish." The Aburame replied quietly.

As this all occurred Naruto got a sinking feeling in his stomach. If Kakashi had the jonin and Shibi had the chunin then did that mean he had th-

"Naruto, you'll be directing the genin." Everyone stared at the twelve year old silently, waiting for some sort of reaction. Having to handle _genin _in a war situation was one of the most painful jobs one could ask for. Not only did you have to deal with the largest force but they were all usually a little _too _confident for their own good and orders were often disobeyed in the search for personal glory.

"I uh, I, um..." Naruto, to his credit, merely sputtered in indignation for a moment as he allowed his mind to process the horrifying order.

Shikaku seemed to take great delight in his situation if his grin was anything to go by, "Because of this you'll mainly be overseeing the civilian evacuation. I'd also expect you to place yourself near the arena both due to the high concentration of genin there and for the safety of the Hokage." He cocked his head, "Oh, and good luck getting my son to move out of his seat."

As he finished speaking the men in the room couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Naruto resorted to drumming the table and letting out a loud sigh.

"I'll talk with each of you privately about what exactly you role entails but for now this will do." He looked around the room slowly, "Despite what those _elders _might claim what _you _do in preparation for the invasion is going to dictate how this plays out. Each of you are a vital part of our plans. Don't fail me... Dismissed." At this the ANBU members immediately disappeared while the jonin all stood slowly out of their seats._  
_

* * *

**|Moments Later...|**

Naruto walked silently through the streets of Konoha, ignoring the deferring respect from the shinobi he passed and the glares of the nearby villages. Not only was he being handed the largest force to lead in the invasion but they were genin, _genin_. It both deeply honored and infuriated him. He knew what Shikaku was up to; a twelve year old could hardly give direct orders to fully grown jonin or chunin - at least not the ones who hadn't seen him in battle.

He knew the likes of Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai would listen to and follow him; they had all at one point been involved in missions with him and so recognized his skills. It was the rest of the forces that were the problem as Naruto hadn't really had much of an opportunity to impress his comrades, mostly being sent on solo missions since attaining his rank.

Obviously Shikaku felt he would be of better use if he was put in a less inhospitable environment. How he saw other twelve year olds as people who would follow him he had no idea. If anything, the genin were less inclined to listen to his orders than the older and more mature members of Konoha. Regardless, he would perform his duty to the best of his ability. He'd just have to hope that he wouldn't encounter any hotheads.

"Hey! Let me go!"

Now _that _was the sound of a hothead; even from around the corner Naruto could recognize Konohamaru's loud, obnoxious voice.

"Shut up you stupid brat!"

Naruto quickened his pace to intervene in the conflict. Whatever it was didn't sound particularly good. He rounded the corner with his hands in his pockets and was greeted by the sight of a Suna genin holding the younger boy by the scruff of his neck with another shinobi, presumably his teammate, watching in exasperation. Konohamaru's two teammates, Moegi and Udon, stood off to the side in fear. Before he could announce his presence the argument reached a climax.

"Look, I'm sorry! Just let _me _**go**!" At this the boy tried to kick the Suna-nin's shins and succeeded in a glancing blow.

"Konohamaru-kun!" Moegi screamed in fear.

"Why you little- You know what? I'm gonna teach you a little lesson in humility." The boy rose his fist to punch Konohamaru.

Naruto decided enough was enough and quickly interjected, "I'm authorized to use lethal force in the case of a Konoha civilian being threatened." His cold voice flew through the air and made the Suna shinobi pause in his strike.

"Naruto-niichan!" Konohamaru's moaned out in relief. At his name the female Suna-nin grew a contemplative expression on her face, as if she was trying to remember where she had heard that name before.

"Who the hell are you?!"

The blonde cocked his head to the side, "Who I am isn't important. If you don't release that boy in ten seconds I _will _strike you down - political repercussion be damned." To further exaggerate his point Naruto tapped his wakizashi.

"You're just another brat, I'm not scare of y-"

His female teammate quickly interrupted, "_Kankurō_!" She hissed in both anger and fear, "That's _Shinku_!" He stared dumbly at Naruto for a moment before looking back at his teammate. His head whipped back to look at the blonde, his skin paling rapidly. He dropped Konohamaru without another word and the eight year old took the opportunity to scamper over to Naruto, hiding behind him.

Naruto tilted his head to look pointedly at a tree in the corner of his peripheral vision. He had sensed another presence in the greenery and so stared directly at where he felt the presence. Sure enough another Suna-nin shunshin'd out of the tree and appeared in front of his two teammates. A gourd adjourned his back and he stared at Naruto with an almost bored expression.

"I apologize for my teammates." The redhead turned to look at the other male, "Kankurō, you're a disgrace to our village."

The boy looked at his teammate fearfully, "G-Gaara!"

Naruto paid no mind to the conversation, instead focusing entirely on the redhead - or rather, entirely on the essence of his chakra. It reeked of malice and evil and was undeniably demonic in nature. The blonde narrowed his eyes in suspicion; who the _hell _brought a Jinchuriki to a chunin exams? And an unstable one at that if the reeking smell of blood and tempered insanity displayed on his face were anything to go by. He'd have to inform the Sandaime soon, it was a worrying development to say the least.

"Shut up." It seemed the boy didn't have a particularly healthy relationship with his teammate. Naruto merely raised an eyebrow in surprise at the confrontation. Konohamaru meanwhile, was suitably cowed by both his previous danger and the threatening danger of the new arrival. Just as the situation seemed to calm down a small pebble flew out of nowhere toward Gaara. As quick as lightning, sand flew up and blocked the offending object.

Gaara turned to look angrily at where the rock had come from only to be greeted with the sight of a smirking Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto himself was irritated beyond belief by the appearance of the boy; he had just attacked a foreign shinobi. The Uchiha also seemed to have no idea what offence he had just committed if the arrogant expression on his face was anything to go by.

Sasuke walked over in front of Naruto, who watched proceedings silently, at turned to Gaara, "Who are you?"

"Sabaku no Gaara." He intoned calmly. The redhead looked at the Uchiha in disinterest before looking at Naruto. "Naruto of the Crimson Rain... You interest me greatly."

Naruto leaned his hand on his wakizashi in boredom, "Oh?"

"I wish to test my existence against you." He grinned madly, "Yes, mother would _love _your blood." Konohamaru whimpered in fear as the boy flashed killing intent toward the two of them while Udon and Moegi walked backwards in terror. Naruto merely sighed before flashing back his own demonic killing intent at the boy. Unlike him however, he restricted it to only Gaara and no innocent bystanders were caught in it.

The redhead staggered backwards from the sheer strength of it and for a moment his face morphed into sheer terror before as quickly as it appeared it was replaced by a crazed smile, "I look forward to seeing you again, Uzumaki Naruto." At this he turned away from the group and announced to his teammates, "Temari, Kankurō! We're leaving." The two didn't reply to him and instead simply followed the younger boy as he left the seen.

As soon as the boy disappeared Naruto whipped his head around and looked at Sasuke with a furious expression on his face, "What the hell was that?" He was positively _disgusted _by the genin's behaviour. To provoke a Jinchuriki like that was beyond stupid.

"What?" He sneered back at Naruto, as if he truly didn't believe what he had done was wrong. The blonde realised with a start that he probably _didn't__. _Forcing himself to calm down, Naruto remembered that this was a genin. You were only trained in politics as either a chunin diplomat or upon reaching jonin rank.

"That little _throwing_ act," At this he gestured at the pebble he had thrown, "Could have set off a diplomatic incident. Do you realise he was the Kazekage's _son_?" He was hissing in anger at this point before he rubbed his temple in consternation, "If you ever do something like that in my presence again I'll have you striped of your rank!" The cold fury that had invaded his voice spoke volumes of how irritated with the Uchiha he was.

Sasuke shrugged, "Hn." Before he swallowed his pride and stomped off in the opposite direction to the Suna-nin. Narut merely sighed at his reaction; that boy was too arrogant for his own good.

He turned to the three shaken eight year olds, "I have to go talk to the Hokage. I trust you'll be ok now?" At this he gave Konohamaru a pointed look.

"Sure thing Naruto-niichan!" The Sandaime's grandson grinned from ear-to-ear before joining up with his two friends. Naruto waved goodbye and shunshin'd away from the three.

Moegi hesitantly broke the silence, "Naruto-niichan can be pretty scary." Udon nodded solemnly in the background. It was like a switch had been clicked and in place of the polite but distant boy that usually offered them tips and pointers in training was replaced by a much older and grim person.

"Yeah but that's why he's so cool!" Konohamaru, as per usual, only saw the good side to the change.

* * *

**|Moments Later...|**

"You know that I have a door for a reason?" The Sandaime's voice pierced the air as he continued to sign documents in his office. In the window of the room a figure appeared, crouching on the windowsill as support. The person quickly stepped into the office, their blonde hair billowing from the wind. As soon as he stepped inside Naruto walked over to face the man directly opposite his desk. "I rue the day I ever introduced you to Kakashi and Jiraiya. Though I thank god that their _unsavory _idiosyncrasies weren't passed down." Naruto internally shuddered at the very idea that he'd dare to be a pervert.

The boy ignored the idle chit-chat and instead cut straight to the issue, "We have a problem."

"Oh?" Sarutobi looked up in mild interest from his papers.

"Suna has brought their Jinchuriki to the exams." The reaction was instantaneous; the Hokage seized up for a moment, shock running through his system before he rose from his step and leaned over his desk.

"What?" He demanded.

Naruto tilted his head as he spoke, "The son of the Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, is a Jinchuriki," The Sandaime nodded imperceptibly, "And he is in the village for the Chunin Exams."

"You're sure of this?" The man was harrowed by the idea.

"Hai. I encountered him personally and he forced his demonic presence on me for a moment," At the man's horrified glance he elaborated, "Don't worry. He didn't target me specifically. What I mean to say is that he is unbalanced, teetering on the edge of his sanity." At that point Naruto wondered if it perhaps would have been better if Gaara _had _been sane and merely attacking him.

The Sandaime breathed in heavily, "This is-" He shook his head, "Do you understand the implications of this?"

He nodded, "Hai." And he did; to bring a Jinchuriki to the exams without informing Konoha required some _seriously _suspicious motivation. That he was both unstable and going to be present during the invasion was too much of a mere coincidence. It reeked of dark intentions. It even suggested the possibility of Orochimaru collaborating with Suna. And if that were true then Konoha was in a lot more trouble than previously projected.

The one positive thing to come out of this realisation was that Orochimaru didn't know that Konoha had caught onto the invasion. If he had then he certainly wouldn't have revealed his trump card of Gaara so brazenly. To do so instantly implicated Suna and revealed information that Konoha did not yet have. So if Suna and Orochimaru were truly in an alliance of sorts then Konoha would still be able to adequately prepare and catch them off-guard.

"Well, I need to inform the appropriate individuals. This is a worrying development." The venerable leader seemed to have regained his usual calm demeanor, "Thank you Naruto. You've performed an admirable service to you village - as per usual."

Naruto took it as his cue to leave, "I only did my duty, Hokage-sama." At this he bowed before turning and leaving the office quickly - this time through the door. As soon as he left a figure shimmered next to the Sandaime, appearing out of thin air. A white mane of hair could be seen flicking around and the man's notorious outfit with the kanji for 'oil' immediately identified him as Jiraiya.

"So..." The Toad Sannin started slowly.

"Jiraiya," As the Hokage spoke the man paused in speaking, "If it turns out Suna is involved someone will need to deal with their Jinchuriki."

"Feh! And you want me to do it?" The man grumbled in annoyance.

Sarutobi nodded slowly, "You can ensure a more peaceful solution with your Fuinjutsu knowledge. He would be a valuable negotiation tool as well - that is, assuming we survive the attack." The man almost whispered the last part, as if he were terrified by the upcoming ordeal.

"And if I can't?"

"Naruto will." The Sandaime replied seriously, "And if necessary, he will have to _kill _him." It was a haunting thought to force one Jinchuriki to kill another. Such individuals usually grew bonds of friendship with each other due to the harsh lives they led. To force the boy to do so might crack his otherwise stable psyche. It was a necessary decision however as Jiraiya might be indisposed during the actual invasion.

"And what, pray tell, would stop me anyway?" Jiraiya asked cheekily. After all, there wasn't much in the world that could go toe-to-toe with a Sannin.

"I believe my foolish student will challenge me directly." Yeah, no surprises there. The man was always a sucker for dramatics - and snakes, "So I might request that you be one of my bodyguards for the day."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow as he spoke, "Well isn't that _audacious_... And who would be the other?"

Sarutobi chuckled softly but it was filled with a sort of lingering despair, "We might as well make it a full reunion."

The toad summoner sighed at the thought, "The team back together all in once place... Now wouldn't that be a sight?" He paused for a moment, "I'm not quite sure Tsunade would be up to it though." And it was true; not only was the woman severely disheartened but she was also crippled by a fear of blood. Such a thing would be disastrous on the battlefield.

The Hokage's eyes hardened, "She will have to be. I refuse to give her any more lenience." Jiraiya didn't react visibly to the man's statement but internally was surprised.

_'So the God of Shinobi has finally resurfaced eh? I wonder what sparked it...'_ Jiraiya looked at his mentor in something akin to awe.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter doneeeeee! Yay.**

**If I'm completely honest I have no freaking clue where I'm going with this story - it's not planned out like my others - so we'll just see where the ride takes us eh?**


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